As a fan of the game of rugby I was more than a little bit excited to see that none other than Clint Eastwood would be ‘tackling’ (pun intended) the adaptation of John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy. Having said that, I was under no illusion that this would not be a movie about rugby.Ever since the moment that the least shocking bit of casting news in Hollywood history was announced, that Morgan Freeman would be portraying Nelson Mandela, it was clear that this was a movie with a message.
Whilst Mandela’s message of forgiveness is concise and clear, Eastwood’s message took me a little longer to grasp. After all, this isn’t a film about Mandela, it’s a film about a particular period in South African history and how two men from contrasting backgrounds seized an opportunity for change.
The film’s focus is the run up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Finals, the first sporting event to take place in the country since the end of the apartheid. On a more accute level the film portrays the bond forged between President Mandela and Springbok captain Francois Pienaar, played by the genuinely excellent Matt Damon.
Although both Freeman and Damon have earned themselves Oscar nominations I personally think that it is the latter’s more observed performance of the lesser known rugby player that elevates this film beyond other biopics. Whilst everyone is familiar with the iconic mannerisms and dulcet tones of Mandela, Pienaar is the unknown quantity here. Damon plays the role with a quiet dignity and pride that was indicative of the man who eventually lifted the William Webb Ellis Cup.
As Pienaar is only really known by Rugby fans Damon would have no doubt gotten away with a more generic portrayal however, whilst his 2009 portrayal of Mark Whitacre (The Informant!) seemed, at times cartoonish and overtly quirky here, Damon displays a steady consistency that may just see him pip Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) to the statue. After all, the Academy hates Nazis even more than the rest of us.
Whilst the film obviously features a substantial amount of re-enacted rugby do no tthink for a moment that it is purely for sports fans. There is a much more significant narrative taking place here, one that becomes clear as you find yourself lost in Matt Damon’s performance. What we can all learn from this movie is not simply how to execute an effective tap tackle. More than that we learn that one person can, and sometimes does, make a difference. Surprisingly given the film’s focus, that person is not Mandela but the unassuming Pienaar who really demonstrates this. A man whose unrelenting, uncompromising and resolute attitude both on and off the field made him not just the captain of a rugby team but of a Nation in transition.
If the film has a flaw it’s found within its soundtrack. Whilst you can hardly blame Clint for throwing his boys some work Kyle Eastwood’s score seems to be recycled from bits cut out of Gran Torino and, as result, at times it does not match the scope and scale of the picture. If the score wasn’t distracting enough it’s occasionally punctuated by saccharin sweet jazz ballads with garish titles like ‘Colour blind’ just in case you were actually blind and had missed the entire point of the film.
In sum, ignoring the soundtrack, Invictus is a film you should watch whether you like rugby or not. It’s a performance driven drama that details a more potted and clandestine period of modern history and as such needs to be witnessed. If, like some, you are lacking in moral fibre and social conscience then just go and watch Matt Damon turn in one of his most impressive performances to date.
Good review Lewis! I really liked this movie too. And I’ve been telling everyone the same thing, Matt Damon was by far the stand out performance!
‘Oi’ve bin invoitud tuh tea!’ Hero.
That ‘Colourblind’ track features in the end credits as well though, yuck.
Comment by Matthew Benjamin Smith Esq. — February 11, 2010 @ 1:13 am